Chi Cheng's evaluation was quite fair.
For players, their eyes don't lie.
Whether a game is crafted with care can be felt clearly within the first three minutes of play.
Although "Great Angler" doesn't boast epic scenes, its attention to environmental detail exudes a sense of sophistication.
The screen gradually froze.
A first-person perspective wearing a straw hat appeared on a large stone by the muddy pond.
In the bottom right corner of the screen, a simple UI interface popped up.
[Current Water: Village Entrance Wild River (Unlocked)]
[Equipment: Bamboo Rod (Durability: Medium)]
[Bait: Freshly Dug Earthworms]
[Current Weather: Sunny]
[Current Time: Early Morning]
[Today's Fish Activity: Unknown]
Apart from this, there were no complex flashy recharge buttons, nor were there any red dot notifications cluttering the screen, leaving a clean impression.
"Not bad!"
Chi Cheng nodded in satisfaction as two lines of brief newbie tips appeared in the center of the screen.
[Hold the left mouse button to control the casting strength.]
"The controls are simple too."
Following the instructions, Chi Cheng attached the earthworm to the fish hook.
A casting strength bar appeared in the center of the screen.
Chi Cheng took a deep breath and held down the left mouse button.
A power gauge appeared on the screen, rapidly increasing as he held it down.
"Here we go!"
Chi Cheng released his finger.
The fishing line whipped out.
The hook landed on the water's surface, creating a small ripple.
The water rippled, and the float bobbed gently on the surface before settling steadily.
Chi Cheng leaned back in his chair.
"Good."
"The core of a fishing game is here."
"Waiting."
The livestream room burst into laughter.
[Hahaha, so real.]
[Great Waiting.]
[The streamer has entered senior mode.]
[Don't rush, the fish are on their way.]
Chi Cheng watched the tranquil muddy pond on the screen, listening to the cicadas in his headphones, feeling his mind and body purified.
"Fishing is all about cultivating oneself. We don't need to do anything, just sit here, enjoy the breeze, listen to the water, watch the float, how relaxing..."
Just as he finished speaking.
The float on the water suddenly bobbed lightly.
The movement was subtle.
If Chi Cheng hadn't been staring at the screen, he might have missed it.
Chi Cheng instantly sat up straight.
"It's moving!"
"Got a bite!"
The float dipped down and then resurfaced.
It paused for about two seconds.
Then, with a sudden "swish," the entire red float was yanked forcefully beneath the murky water, disappearing from view!
Float Dive!
"It's here!"
Chi Cheng shouted, adrenaline surging, his eyes locked on the water's surface, his right index finger pressing down hard on the right mouse button!
"Get up!!!"
As Chi Cheng pressed the right button, the fishing rod on the screen bent sharply downward.
The entire bamboo rod seemed to be pulled by something fierce underwater, the tip nearly touching the water, the fishing line stretched into a taut white line.
In his headphones, the fishing line emitted a faint creaking sound.
Chi Cheng sat up straight.
"Damn?"
"Guys, this fish is huge!"
A prompt immediately popped up on the right side of the screen.
[Hold the right button to reel in, release to ease tension.]
[Note: If the line tension is too high, it may break.]
[Tip: For the ultimate fishing experience, realistic physical vibrations, and line tension feedback, we strongly recommend using a controller!]
Seeing the last line of the prompt, Chi Cheng was momentarily stunned.
"No way."
"A controller? I don't have time to find a controller right now!"
Chi Cheng couldn't afford to dwell on the prompt because he was horrified to see the fishing rod on the screen being deformed by the terrifying force from below!
"Buzz... screech screech screech!"
"Damn! Damn, damn, damn! What kind of force is this?!"
Chi Cheng gripped the mouse tightly, dragging it frantically toward the bottom left corner following the screen's direction prompts.
"Is there a nuclear submarine hooked underwater?! Isn't this supposed to be the Village Entrance Wild River? Who keeps Godzilla in a wild river?!"
The game screen shook wildly with Chi Cheng's mouse movements.
Huge white splashes erupted on the water's surface, the unknown black shadow below thrashing wildly in the muddy water...
"Wait, wait!"
"I need to stabilize this fish first! Pull! I need to pull!"
He slowly released the right button.
The next second, the fish underwater seemed to seize the opportunity, dragging the line deeper into the muddy pond.
The line zipped out.
The tension bar on the screen gradually decreased, but the distance was clearly increasing.
Chi Cheng's eyes widened.
"No way, this fish can run?"
"Isn't it supposed to come up with a click of the mouse?"
"How does it know tactical retreat?"
"This effect is impressive! It's just like when I go fishing in real life!"
Chi Cheng held the right button again, starting to reel in.
The rod bent down once more.
Ripples spread out on the water's surface, the grass by the riverbank swayed gently in the wind, there were no exaggerated effects on the screen, but the tugging sensation of the fish underwater was very apparent.
Sometimes it darted left.
Whenever Chi Cheng pulled hard, it suddenly surged.
When Chi Cheng eased up, it seemed to slow down as if catching its breath.
For a full three minutes!
After a grueling three-minute tug-of-war, akin to a boss fight in an action game, the frenzied creature underwater finally exhausted its last bit of strength.
As the tension bar slowly dropped, Chi Cheng frantically clicked the left mouse button to reel in.
A shadow finally emerged from beneath the water.
The shadow was much larger than Chi Cheng had imagined, its body swaying, stirring up a cloud of muddy water by the pond.
Chi Cheng felt a chill on his scalp.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"
"Big fish!"
"This is really a big fish!"
"I caught a fish on my first try!"
Finally, with a splash, a large golden carp was dragged out of the water.
Its body flicked in the sunlight, scattering droplets everywhere.
A prompt appeared in the center of the screen.
[Successfully Caught: Wild Big Carp]
[Weight: 3.8 pounds]
[Quality: Excellent]
[Experience Gained: +35]
[Encyclopedia Unlocked!]
[Due to your excellent technique, this catch is in perfect condition, and the fishmonger is willing to buy it at a high price. Sell? Price: 25 gold coins.]
"Phew..."
Looking at the settlement screen, Chi Cheng let out a long sigh.
The newbie halo came through!
The tugging sensation in this game is something else!
Without hesitation, he clicked [Sell].
With a crisp sound of coins falling into a bag, the balance in the top right corner instantly jumped from "0" to "25."
Immediately, the system's guidance prompt popped up again.
[You've earned your first pot of gold! Please open the shop, upgrade your equipment, and challenge bigger catches!]
[Novice Rod Shop is now open.]
[Available for purchase: Thin Tough Fishing Line, Standard Fish Hook, Reinforced Bamboo Rod.]
[Map function is now open.]
Chi Cheng opened the shop.
Instantly, rows of dazzling equipment appeared before him.
[High-Carbon Long-Cast Rod: 200 gold coins] (Stronger resilience, greatly reduces the chance of rod breakage)
[High-Tensile Dyneema Fishing Line: 150 gold coins] (Can withstand higher tension)
[Secret Red Worm Pellet Bait: 20 gold coins] (Irresistible to high-level fish species)
Looking at these top-tier items that could instantly double his combat power, the livestream room's chat erupted with advice.
[Damn, so expensive!]
[Expensive or not, you have to buy it, Chi! Get the carbon rod! That flimsy bamboo rod is too frustrating!]
[Change the line too! It almost snapped earlier, too risky.]
[Buy the bait, buy the bait! You can only afford the bait right now, there must be bigger fish in this river!]
Chi Cheng's mouse pointer hovered over the tempting [Purchase] button, his index finger itching to click.
After experiencing that thrilling tug-of-war, who wouldn't want to swap for a better rod and dominate the waters?